Dreams Of The Soloist

When you started your soloist business, you probably had a handful of goals. Maybe they were modest, but then you started to see some success and think about what’s next—what’s possible?

Jonathan and I explore the soloist experience—the typical stages of success and the dreams soloists decide to go after:

The four aspects of being a soloist that you’ll want to consciously examine now—and revisit over time.

How to discover whether you’re a good candidate to hire employees for your business.

Setting financial goals for your business and deciding where your “enough” lies.

Incorporating time off into your work life (and the magic of boundary setting) in a way that fits your personal vision.

Building the right amount of flexibility—for you—into how you work, where you work and when you work.

 

Quotables

“Being a soloist is awesome…it allows you to have some dreams that would be really hard to achieve when you’re working for somebody else.”—RM

“If you don’t have your objectives defined or the vision for what…all these things are gonna look like in the future, then it’s really difficult to decide what to do.”—JS

“Ask yourself: Do I enjoy the idea of leading employees? Do I want to inspire them? 
Do I want to show them how to do things? Do I want to mentor them? Do I want to listen when they have issues?”—RM

“Once you (replace your salary), then it’s like, all right, do I need more and/or how much more do I want?”—JS

“There comes this point where you start to look at the future and you think, ‘I’m gonna do this for the next 20 years?’”—RM

“It’s not like you need to alert the media and be like, ‘Okay, I’m not answering email between these hours or on these days.’”—JS

“If you don’t think about the intention for your business, if you don’t examine it, then it’s easy to let your business start to run you instead of the other way around.”—RM

“How much time do I want away from doing client work—doing delivery—so that I can either work on the business or play with the kids?”—JS

SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE TO THE BUSINESS OF AUTHORITY

Recent Episodes:

April 22, 2024

It’s A Wrap!

We have a BIG announcement wrapped in a short episode of The Business of Authority. If you’re a fan, you’ll definitely want to tune in. We talk about where we’re taking the show and how your feedback will impact our next steps.

April 15, 2024

April Dunford – Obviously Awesome REPLAY

When I started reading April Dunford’s book, I couldn’t wait till we had her on the show. In Obviously Awesome, she simply yet powerfully explains the importance of positioning and how to do it. She’s no less fabulous on the show—she not only clarified what positioning is and why it’s important, but she also shared her own journey to her current positioning and niche (hint: it’s wildly successful).

April 08, 2024

The Passion Economy with Adam Davidson REPLAY

You may have heard our guest Adam Davidson on NPR (he co-founded their Planet Money podcast), but his—well, passion—is what he calls “The Passion Economy”. He makes the case—including some mesmerizing stories—that we can create deeply impactful, financially successful businesses from our deepest talents and passions.

April 01, 2024

In Defense of Repetition

How do you get better at anything? You practice. LeBron shoots free throws—Gaga sings scales. Consulting and advisory is no different. Upping your game requires embracing repetition— continually practicing all the elements of your craft and the business skills you need to flourish

March 25, 2024

Genius Zone vs. Productivity

When Louis Grenier of Everyone Hates Marketers called out working in your genius zone as a recipe for burn-out, well, Jonathan and I had to push back. We argue that working in your genius zone is not about being “hyper-ultra-mega productive”, but about working in flow state

March 18, 2024

The Pros And Cons Of An Application Process

Have you considered adding an application process for your service(s), but weren’t sure whether it would help or hurt? Jonathan and I have both used applications for different programs and purposes and we dive into how to make them work for you